Solid vs. Engineered
There are two types of wood floor constructions available on the market today: solid and engineered.

Solid

Solid wood flooring is exactly what the name implies: a solid piece of wood from top to bottom. The thickness of solid wood flooring can vary, but generally ranges from 5/16” to ¾”. One of the main benefits of solid wood flooring is that it can be sanded and refinished many times. Solid wood flooring can be installed above or on grade. Solid wood is generally only recommended on a wooden subfloor with a nail-down installation, but some products are certified for installation on concrete and can be glued-down or floated.

Engineered

Engineered wood floors are real wood floors that are manufactured using three to nine layers of different wood veneers. The sub layers can be of the same species, or of different species. The grain of each layer runs in different directions, which makes it very stable. This means that the wood will expand and contract less than solid wood flooring during fluctuations in humidity and temperature. The top layer (or “wear layer”) of engineered wood flooring consists of high-quality wood. The thickness of the wear layer determines how many times it can be sanded and finished.

Contrary to popular belief, high-quality engineered floors can be sanded as many times as a solid ¾” inch floor. Unfortunately, cheaply manufactured engineered floors have flooded the market, with wear layers that cannot be sanded even once.

Engineered wood flooring can be installed above, on or below grade. It can also be installed over concrete, plywood, and radiant heat (must be manufacturer approved).